Legacy, The Grand: first look inside York's new restaurant

Legacy - the city's newest eatery - opens tonight (Thursday, August 25) offering an eight-course tasting menu for £120.

The restaurant is based at The Grand, York, Station Rise, and is headed up by chef Ahmed Abdalla who has previously worked at award-winning city restaurant, Skosh, in Micklegate.

Legacy was officially opened by York's Lord Mayor, David Carr, at a VIP launch last night.

The Civic Party declares Legacy open

Invited guests were treated to a signature cocktail and glasses of English sparkling wine as well as a selection of canapes.

They were also given a tour of the new restaurant, which has dining space for just 26 people.

The decor is elegant, featuring wood panelling on the walls and images of some of the great and good of York on the walls. It has modern touches too thanks to the velvet-like soft furnishings and ceramic table ware. Together, with the colour scheme of blues and whites, it has the air of a classy gentleman's club.

The interiors have been constructed by designers Faber, with environmentally conscious choices being made throughout, says bosses.

Legacy head chef Ahmed Abdalla at work

Speaking to The Press at the launch, head chef Ahmed said: "Months of hard work have finally paid off now that we have people finally coming in. Words can't express how I feel!"

To start, Legacy will be offering diners an eight-course tasting menu, priced at £120 per person. They can pair it with a classic wine flight at £60 per person or at an extra £90 per person for the prestige wine flight. Customers can also choose from the restaurant's wine list which includes some 150 varieties.

Ahmed said they may offer an a la carte option at a later date.

To give you a flavour of what the £120 menu offers, here is an example of the opening menu:

* Parkerhouse roll: with cultured butter and goats herb butter;

* Jersey Royal veloute: with oak-smoked cheddar and chicken skin;

* Bbq langoustine: with carrot, ravioli;

* Celeriac: with black garlic;

* Halibut: with cauliflower, mousseline sauce;

* Trio of Yorkshire lamb: with turnip, courgette;

* Annabel’s strawberry: with lavender, chamomile;

* Grand honey: with Yuzu, elderflower.

Vegetarian and vegan menus will be available too and while accompanying wine flights can be ordered,

The new restaurant is the latest change at The Grand. In 2018, it opened its multi-million pound 100-room extension .

The expansion was part of a £15 million redevelopment at the York site, which saw the hotel nearly double its number of luxury bedrooms.

The new rooms were inspired by the building’s Edwardian history as the former headquarters of the North Eastern Railway.

A first look inside York's newest restaurant, Legacy, at The Grand

In March 2019, the hotel opened its own Cookery School.

The hotel first opened in 2010 - becoming the city’s first and only five-star hotel at a cost of £20 million.